1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an optical fiber connector, and more particularly to an optical fiber connector including a clamping assembly having a groove of a cam member, which can generate a clamping force and be adapted to clamp a terminating fiber.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, optical fibers have been widely used as signal transmission media because of their high bandwidth and low loss nature. In order to transmit over a longer distance, it is common to use a high power diode laser to launch a laser beam into the optical fiber. An optical fiber connector is a mechanical device disposed at an end of the optical fiber and acts as a connector of optical path when the optical fibers are joined to each other.
A conventional small form factor, optical fiber connector must be readily assembled in the factory, and there are too many separated components so as to have a complex processes of assembly. For example, referring to FIG. 1, U.S. Pat. No. 6,318,903 B1, entitled “Optical fiber connector for backplane” discloses an optical fiber connector 11 including a protective dust cap 48, a connector housing 12, a ferrule-barrel assembly 20, a coil spring 26, an insert 27, a crimping member 34, a clip member 40, a protective boot 46 and an incoming fiber cable 36, which are assembled in sequence so as to finish the optical fiber connector 11 shown in FIG. 2.
In order to effect optical coupling and minimize the Fresnel loss, the end of the optical fiber is commonly presented for mating in a polished ferrule. The Fresnel loss is a loss of light quantity between interfaces of two mediums when the light is transmitted from a medium to another medium. In the factory, a polished ferrule assembly is most readily prepared in a controlled setting, wherein precision equipment and skilled craftsmen are available for cleaving the optical fiber, and terminating it in a ferrule, and polishing the ferrule and the optical fiber to exacting tolerances.
However, there is a need for an optical fiber connector that can be installed in the field where such facilities and craftsmen are not available. Under these conditions, it is desirable to omit the step of the polishing the ferrule/optical fiber in the field by instead terminating the optical fiber in an optical fiber connector which has a fiber stub already terminated and polished in a ferrule. Then, a terminating fiber of an incoming fiber cable is optically coupled to the fiber stub in the optical fiber connector, often with the use of a refractive index matched gel to improve optical coupling therebetween.
For example, referring to FIG. 3, U.S. Patent Publication Number 2006/0002662 A1, entitled “Small Form Factor, Field-Installable Connector” discloses a small form factor, field-installable optical fiber connector 110 including a connector housing 112, a ferrule 113, a clamping assembly 111, a resilient member 115 and a rear body 116. The ferrule 113 is disposed in the connector housing 112. A fiber stub 114 is already terminated, polished in a ferrule 113, and mounted in the ferrule 113 by means of a conventional adhesive, e.g. epoxy. Then, a terminating fiber (not shown) is optically coupled to the fiber stub 114 in the optical fiber connector 110. The clamping assembly 111 is disposed in the connector housing 112 and located behind the ferrule 113. The clamping assembly 111 includes a housing 120, a platform 130, first and second cam members 140, 150 and an actuator 160, wherein all the platform 130, the first and second cam members 140, 150 and the actuator 160 are disposed in the housing 120. Since the actuator 160 forces the second cam member 150 forward relative to the first cam members 140, a cam effect between the first and second cam members 140, 150 is generated and further a clamping action between the platform 130 and the first cam members 140 is generated so as to receive and retain the terminating fiber, i.e. the terminating fiber cannot escape from the optical fiber connector 110. The resilient member 115 is disposed in the connector housing 112. The rear body 116 is disposed at the rear end of the connector housing 112 and configured to provide a backstop against which the resilient member 115 can press to bias the ferrule 113 and the clamping assembly 111 forward.
However, it is difficult to rework for the terminating fiber disclosed in U.S. Patent Publication Number 2006/0002662 A1. Once the installation of the terminating fiber is wrong, the terminating fiber must be pulled out from the optical fiber connector by a tool. Furthermore, the clamping assembly disclosed by U.S. Patent Publication Number 2006/0002662 A1 is a complex structure.
Accordingly, there exists a need for an optical fiber connector capable of solving the above-mentioned problems.